New GE LED outdoor lighting helps banish danger in parking lots

GE's new outdoor LED lighting system casts a more even light across large spaces, reducing shadows and glare

If you’ve ever crossed a parking lot at night and found yourself nervously hurrying from one reassuring pool of light to the next, you’ll be pleased to learn GE believes it has come up with a way to banish lurking shadows from large outdoor areas. The GE Evolve LED area light produces less glare and a more uniform level of light, reducing hot spots and dark spots. And, as an added bonus, it’s 30% more energy-efficient than traditional outdoor lighting.

Most existing outdoor lighting is what’s known as high-intensity discharge (HID), a kind of arc lamp that uses an electricity to heat metal salts into a glowing plasma. LED lighting, on the other hand, passes a current through an diode, causing electrons to release energy in the form of light. Because LED lights require much more precise current and heat management, they tend to err on the expensive side.

However, the economies and light quality of GE’s new offering should overcome those drawbacks. The Evolve LED has an estimated 10 year service life – about 50,000 hours – which is four times better than standard HID outdoor lighting. Using between 97 and 214 watts (depending on the lighting application), the GE LED lights are the replacement equivalent of standard 400-watt HID light.

The biggest advantage in using LED for outdoor lighting, however, is in the quality and visibility of the light produced. The GE Evolve LED light has a comparatively high “color temperature”, producing what is called a “cool” light. This increases the uniformity of the light, reduces shadowing and improves vertical illumination, so faces are better lit. Perfect, in other words, to improve the security and pedestrian visibility of big, open spaces.